Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-04
WHOLE NO. 1920.
THE DEL MONTE FIRE.
Total Destruction of the Magnificent Ho-
teI

Total Destruction of the Magnificent HO-
tsi at Monterey.
As stated in telegram to the RECORD
UNION OF Saturday, received at 2:3O A. N.
on that morning, the beautiful Hotel Del
Monte, situated on the picturesque bay of
Monterey, was burned about midnight on
Friday. Within an hour from the time
the fire started the magnificent structure
was burned to the ground. Fortunately
the large number of guests escaped with
their lives, although many lost all their
clothing and valnables, amounting, in
many individual cases, to thousands of
dollars. Various accounts are given of the
progress Of the fire and of the many scenes
connected with hairbreadth escapes, etc.;
but the following, from the Calls report,
contains pretty accurate account OF the
catastrophe in a few words
]. C. MARsHALL's STATEMENT.
J. Z. Marshall, of Philadelphia, in relat-
ing his experience, said that he was the
only guest about the house who had not
retired at the time the fire broke out He
discovered the smoke in the hallway at a
quarter past II o'clock and gave the alarm
to the night clerk. Other employees were
awakened and search for the fire was
made, bat no alarm was given, as it was
Soon the tile was located in the basement
near the barber shop and water closets, and
in few minutes flames shot forth from
several places widely apart The alarm
was at once given and scene of turmoil
that beggared description followed as the
terrified inmates rushed from the burning
building in undress. There were about $50
guests and over 100 servants in the hotel,
and each was trying to save something.
When everybody was cut an attempt was
made TO save the building, but it was
soon manifest that that was impos-
sible, and the efforts of the en-
ployes and such of the guests as chose to
help them were directed to saving some of
the furniture, and nearly everything in
the annex was gotten out. As many of
the guests had scarcely any clothing,
blankets and coverlets were distributed
among them, and they were made as COM
Portable as possible. A great number of
rough-lookiDg natives soon appeared upon
the scene and began 10 carry OFF bed-clothes,
trunks, or whatever else came handy, no
one attempting to prevent them, and many
OF the guests who got their things out were
chagrined 10 find that had been carried off
by these plunderers. As soon as the ex-
element had subsided little, the club
house and railroad station were opened
and the shivering people crowded in. A
train Of cars was also gotten in and there a
number also took refuge. so that no one
actually suffered, the night not being re-
ally cold. But there was not much Sleep
ing done by any one. The diseonsolate
crowd were fed in the stables, and then q
large number left for San Francisco, some
remaining to try and find then baggage.
THE MANAGERS OPINION.
Superintendent Basset received dispatch
as follows from the scene of the disaster:
MONTEREY. April >, 1857.
4. c. BdSSea: Mr. Schoenwald thinks that the
fire was set, as 1t started under the floor Of the
lobby, where there was nothing for fire to
originate itself. The first warning was received
at lI45 P NJ, when the fire broke through the
floor. and in iew minutes the main part of the
b1ilding was filled with smoke. We only had
time to arouse the guests, many of whom barely
got out of the building in their night clothes.
We saved considerable of the furniture from the
new addition. There was no pressure to the
water and we could not force the stream to the
ceillI OF the first floor.
WHAL COLONEL CRoCKER SAYS.
Colonel Charles F. Crocker said that all
he knew about the disaster was that the
house was burned and that, from all ac-
counts he firmly believed the fire was the
work of an incendiary, The first notifica-
ton of the destruction of the Del Monte
was when he was called out of bed at
3 o'clock Saturday and told that the sea-
side resort was entirely destroyed. The
hotel with its equipments cost about $780,
| 600 and was not insured
The fire originated in a place where a
| fire was never started, and where no ma
| terial of an inflammable nature was stored,
and for that reason -. think that the con.
| hagration was the work of an incendiary,n
said Mr.. Crocker. When the water was
turned ON in the pipes it would not carry
to the second story, and that fact convinces
me that there was something radically
wrong, for the reason that we had the
| finest system of water works connected
with the hotel that can be found on the
| Pacific coast. We have decided TO COM
menee the reconstruction of the hotel i'm
mediately. The new building will be on
the same plan as the old one, but we will
probably add another story, as we found
that the old hotel was entirely too small TO
| accommodate the guests
WORK TO BEGIN AT ONCE.
Timothy Hopkins said he had instructed
the architect TO begin work Immediately
on the plans for the new hotel, and large
force of men would commence clearing
away the debris from the scene of the fire
on Monday. Mr.. Hopkins said that while
, the hotel was Of course a serious loss to the
company, they were satisfied so long as no
lives were lost in Tie disaster The hotel
would have done an immense business
this summer, as several carloads of tourists
were already on their way to Monterey.
The new hotel" Mr.. Hopkins said, will
certainly be finished within six months,
and in the meantime the tourists will lie
accommodated at the new hotel at Pacific
Grove, which will be thrown open TO the
public on the 1st of next month";
The Stomach DistfIs Acids